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Middle-class earners are being hit with income stagnation, rising housing costs, and increasing debt loads, but there are several markets across the country that could offer relief. The middle class is defined as households who earn between $42,000 to $125,000 annually, according to the Pew Research Center. Realtor.com® analyzed the nation’s 100 largest metros with the highest share of homes on the market that are priced for middle-income workers. The site factored in the costs of a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a 20 percent down payment. Realtor.com® found that the top cities for middle-class home buyers in 2018 are:

1. Provo, Utah: 76 percent (share of homes affordable to middle-income buyers)
2. Des Moines, Iowa: 71.8 percent
3. Austin, Texas: 69.9 percent
4. Raleigh, N.C.: 69.7 percent
5. El Paso, Texas: 69.2 percent
6. Lakeland, Fla.: 68.4 percent
7. Boise, Idaho: 68.2 percent

But in many markets, rising home prices and low inventory are forcing middle-income buyers out. Realtor.com® researchers found that the cities where affordability is among the worst for the middle class (with the share of affordable homes at 32 percent or less) are Los Angeles; Toledo, Ohio; and San Diego. “The bottom line here is the middle class is getting squeezed when it comes to homes,” Robert Hughes, senior research fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research, told realtor.com®. Source: “Sky-High Prices Got You Down? Here Are the Top Middle-Class Housing Meccas,” realtor.com® (April 2, 2018)